Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas WOW! We made it!!!!! This has taught me so much about keeping to a schedule and just DO IT!  I still have a few more things to do on my list of "things to do in 2013".  Our next new challenge with Leslie is to paint every week and post 2 paintings on her blog every weekend.  That seems like a piece of cake.  This was painted in Judy & Larry's Wednesday afternoon class....It's very wet but I want to do a couple  more things just to finish it off....

24" x 36" Oil on Canvas Finally finished it!!!!!  I started this one with acrylics, it was a great way to base in the design.....I probably have about 36/40 hours all together.  I didn't post for 4 days so this one counts as a 4 day.  I painted it at her condo with 4 or 5 girlfriends (not painters) drinking wine and giving their 2 cents worth....I'll post a better picture later.

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board Three more days! WOW! The two days I didn't post I was  working on the 24" x 36" Commission. I hope to finish it this  week.....I hope the rest of you guys are motivated to paint more.  I have produced more painting in this month than I did in six months last year.  Thank - You Leslie!

11" x 14" Oil on Canvas The warm tones is what the Impressionist were talking about, the light is different in the South of France.  I was there about 8 years ago....it's one of my favorite places.  Eze is a little village north of Nice that sets on the top of a mountain. I think I'm beginning to understand the Mechanics of Painting that was taught by Jerry Fresia..........

10" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board I'm still working on the commission, it's so close to being finished, so I hope to post tomorrow.......I attended the open studio at the Beach Art Center this morning..... great fun..........we have a model but I worked on a landscape scene from France.   Have a couple more hours on it....will post tomorrow also.....

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board If you haven't noticed I haven't posted the last couple of days.....I've been working on a commission that is 24" x 36" big blue vase of Poppies!!! It's just about finished maybe a  couple more hours.  This is one of the "stash" I painted at the beginning of the challenge.  This was painted  from a photograph I took of a still life set up at Jerry Fresia's workshop last fall.  The vase was beautiful, this painting does not do it justice. Just can't believe we have one more week!!!!! WOW!!! When I quit smoking the theory is if you do something for 30 days you can break a habit, or create a habit.  I think I've created a new wonderful habit of painting at least 5 times a week!

12" x 12" Oil on Canvas I started this one yesterday but didn't like the start, so I did my famous "wipe out".  The colors in this painting are much warmer and brighter.  Still working on the photographing the wet paintings. 

6" x 6" Oil on Canvas Board One of the biggest technique I learned in Dreama's Workshop was the use of transparent colors.  She "blocks" in the design covering the entire space with transparent colors.  As a watercolorists I understand the  use of these clean colors.  When you apply the opaque layer you pick up a little of the first layer.  Not only were the colors clean using this technique but you get a glimpse of the design.

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board As most of you know I'm not a landscape painter!  I took a workshop from Dreama  Tolle Perry this past summer hoping it would get me in a another zone so I can paint landscape.  Well, I'm still not excited about landscape, but I am excited about those little vignettes that we see on our daily walks.  While in the South of France a  few years ago I took a zillion pictures of those wonderful little landscape "still lives" we see everyday around us. This challenge was about stepping out of what is comfortable and into another world of painting.......so my final challenge is too paint 11 days of those wonderful little landscape still lives. It's all about practice!!!!!

10" x 8" Oil on Canvas I think this will be the last of the pomegranate....they're looking pretty bad!   The pomegranate's are tough to paint, all those colors of RED.  I can't believe we are on day 18....I didn't think I would be able to keep up but when you are so motivated by the group of over 200 artist...it's kinda hard not to paint.  I want to THANK all the artist that have left a comment. 

10" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board I started this in the Wednesday afternoon class.  Of course my brain is mush by this time after teaching......so I finished it this morning....I'm still not happy with the photography.....need to work on this.  The painting does not show all that soft color.

7 1/2" x 11 !/2" Watercolor on Paper One of my all time favorite places in the world is Santa Fe, New Mexico.  There are so many wonderful old buildings to see.  Plus all the galleries up Canyon Road. Georgia O'Keeffe said that the light was different.  Once you spent time there you know it is different! As in this little painting you can feel the heat and brightness of the that intense sun.

11" x 14" on Watercolor Paper This is a watercolor that I did at the beginning of the "30 paintings in 30 days". I teach at the Beach Art Center on Wednesday morning plus I take Judy & Larry Pumfrey's oil class in the afternoon.  I did a demo today on the "Mechanics of Painting" that I studied with Jerry Fresia in Italy. I knew when we started the challenge that I would need a couple of paintings ahead.  I'm soooo happy that I did do a couple ahead........can't believe we are half way through! WOW

10" x 12" Watercolor on Paper I've had this photograph for about 5 years....we attend a Civil War reenactment at Heritage Village in Largo, Fl.  I have several photographs of this little guy.  I didn't realize that the Rebel Uniform was more blue-green than gray.  

11" x 14" Watercolor on Paper This week  I plan on working on Watercolor Projects for my Wednesday Morning Class at the Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida.  This will be a fun project to teach because we used Salt to create texture on the very old wall.  I try to teach a technique with every  project we do.  So many people say they can't paint, have no talent, it's not about any of these, some people do have a natural instinct but it's like learning to play the piano.....practice, practice, practice!  It's a SKILL.

12" x 12" Oil on Canvas This painting is very "High Key", the Impressionist, especially Monet painted with in this value range.  My problem is getting a good photograph.....the colors look "chalky" in the photo, but are very bright in real life.  Today I'm going to try to play around with different locations with various light sources.  I have a "photo box" with lights but they seem to wash out the painting.  If I get a better one I'll be sure to post! Having sooooo much fun, plus I have 12 new paintings!!! Yea! Yea!

12" x 12" Oil on Canvas SOLD The challenge today was to paint RED ! How many reds in the paint world are there! Well I think a lot!!!!! I had at least 6 tubes out ........the transparent  of the skin was the hardest to get.....I love the yummy reds against the cools of the table cloth.  I added a little light green, but it didn't show up in the photograph.  This painting is much better than the picture.... you can't see the impressionist colors juxtapose together.   Anyone doing the challenge can't help but get better......what fun!  Thanks Leslie!

14" x 11" Watercolor on Paper This is a transparent watercolor that I will be teaching step by step to my Wednesday morning class at the Beach Art Center.  I still love doing watercolor because they always create a challenge.  The big difference between watercolor and oils is you have to have a "concept".  This was the topic of discussion  in Wednesday afternoon oil painting class with Judy & Larry Pumfrey.  Larry ask the question what is concept?  Basically it the plan, what's going on in your head about what this painting should look like.  Watercolor, because of the way the paints are applied to the  paper you have to have a picture in your "head" of what this will  look like as a finished painting.  The nice thing about oils is you can change your "Concept" in mid painting.  Just wipe off the area you want to change. Not going to happen with watercolors...... This was a glass chest set our grandson...

10" x 8" Oil on Panel Yesterday was a very busy day....first day of classes at the Beach Art Center, plus I take the oil class in the afternoon.  I'm not a good painter in the afternoon especially after I teach, so this is one of my "stash" .  I knew I was going to be very busy after classes started so I painted a few ahead this past week.  Sooooo Happy I did!  The photograph does not do this one justice.....it's a very warm and colorful painting.  Plus the "light areas" have a few really nice thick brush strokes....

14" x 11" Oil on Canvas Talk about a fun painting!  This guys just went together with out any effort, I think Jerry's "enjoy the process" is finally sinking in......I'm still working with the lighting.  I photograph the  process.  I have about 20 picture that are a step by step of the painting.   I hope to have a little slide show in the coming weeks. While in Italy we worked with North light, it's the best.  I have a natural light that represents North Light but it's not quite the same.  This will be on Daily Paintworks Auction.

4" x 4" Oil on Panel SOLD As Leslie said we've finished our first week!  Yea!  A couple of my friends have selected a theme or challenge within a challenge....my challenge is just to paint for 30 days straight....I'm loving it!   I start my weekly Wednesday Morning Class at the Beach Art Center, it will be great to see all the "snow-birds".  I have several new designs for them to try out"....most of them don't know it that I use this class to "practice teach",  the projects that I will be submitting to various traveling teaching classes. Thanks Guys! Daily Paintworks Auction starting Jan. 9th Click here to place your bid.

4" x 4" Oil on Panel A few years ago I purchased 50 little frames with panels......I applied gesso to the panels and they are a great surface to paint on.  What a great time to use theme for the "30 paintings in 30 days".  It's  a little challenging to paint impressionist with a small brush.... .  another learning experience!  I will put this one on my Paintworks auction.....stating at $5.....

10" x 8" Oil on Canvas This is a early morning (like 4am) painting.....I'm going to have a very busy week with classes starting at the Beach Art Center......I need a few more watercolor projects for the next few months.  This challenge has been my first priority.  I've been wanting to take pictures of the steps and I do great on the drawing, scrumbling and the first layer of paint.....but I go somewhere and totally forget.  Jerry say you got to go to that place where it's all about the painting process...so I guess I go there.  Maybe the next time I'll put the video on my camera on!!!!!

10" x 8" Oil on Canvas While in Italy this past fall taking the workshop with Jerry Fresia one of the students had these wonderful Pomegranates, I had never seen them in this orangy peachie green before.  I was so excited to paint them, I still think the original one was the first time that I knew I had it!  Impressionism!  The original is in my studio and is a constant reminder of the "mechanics of impressionism".    

6" x 6" Oil on Canvas How fun was this!  I love the complementary colors....they are so happy together!  I've been working on new website, having a few problems, I deleted the old one on yahoo.....well the transfer did not go smooth.  It's all a learning process......du !!!!!!!  If you like me on my facebook page please do it on Mary Spires Artist Studio...this is the page I want to have the ability to look at the data.....please bare with me as I go through this process......it gets a little frustrating at times. 

10" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board This was a real challenge, all that YELLOW! Not only the lemons, but the basket was in the yellow family.  My biggest focus is the "mechanics of painting" that I studied in Italy with Jerry Fresia.  I just love the process, the place you go in your head!  It should be about the joy of painting.  Jerry said if you let yourself enjoy the process without worry of the end product, your painting will be successful.  But I always tell my students, you learn more from your mistakes than you success.....painting is a journey!  

10" x 8" on Canvas Board Today was the start of the "30 paintings in 30 days" challenge created by Leslie Saeta.  This past year was a big one for me......not only did I take a workshop with Dreama Tolle Perry in Paris.....Ky! but I got to take a workshop with Jerry Fresia in Lenno, Italy.  This was my 25th wedding anniversary present from my number one guy......we spent a week on the beautiful Lake Como then we did a 7 day barge trip down the Rhine.  What can you say.....it was dreamland. My artist journey has had many streets and avenues with major intersections that has change my visual poetry.  The workshop with Dreama made me understand transperant colors in oil and how to use them.  Jerry talk me the" mechanics of impressionism" taught to him by Bill Schultz who was taught by Robert Brackman who intern studied with Monet during the rise of impressionism in France.  So let the games begin!